Mechanism for counting and stacking articles



Dec. 1a, 192& 1,695,982

H. E. RUCKERT IECHANISI FOR COUNTING AND STACKING ARTICLES Original Filed July 1 1924 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 I WEN- U Dec. 1a, 192& v 1,695,982

H. E. RUCKERT IBORANISI FOR COUNTING AND STACKING ARTICLES Original Filed July 18. 1924 5 51 1 41 4 Dec. 18, 1928. I I 1,695,982

I H. E. RUCKERT IECHANISI FOR COUNTING AND STACKING AR'1ICLES Original Filed July 18. 1924 5 s t -s t 5 N ENT K I 'A T N Y ya a. P Wl/MJMwA-/ L Patented Dec. 18, 1928.

UNITED STATES HARRY E. BUCKET, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SANITARY PRODUCTS CORPORATION 01' AMERIC CORPORATION 01' VIRGINIA.

A, 01 PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A

MECHANISM FOR COUNTING AND STACKING ARTICLES.

Original application filed July 18, 1924,

' This invention relates especially, although not exclusively, to mechanism, cooperating with a machine for manufacturin plates, dishes, and the like from paper, bre and similar stock, for delivering, counting and stacking the articles, and is a division of my copending application Serial No. 726,863, filed July 18, 1924.

The invention has for its general objects to provide means for delivering said articles in nested relation in stacks of a predetermined number each, the operations being carried on automatically and reducing to a minimum the necessary manual labor and personal supervision, and consequently the cost of production.

The more particular objects of the invention will be best understood from the following description of one form of mechanism by which the invention may be carried into effect, as illustrated in the accompanying drawin s. It will be understood, however, that the particular constructions and o erations described and shown have been c osen for illustrative pur oses merely, and that the invention, as de ned by the claims hereunto appended may be otherwise practised without eparturefrom its spirit and scope.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly away.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a machine for forming articles from sheet material ems bodying the mechanism of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section partly broken away taken substantially on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal vertical section of one pair of cooperating dies, illustrating the forming operation.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4, showing the dies separated, and illustratin the removal of the completed articles by t e travel of the web.

broken Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the nesting and counting mechanism.

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation, partly in sec tion on the line 7-7, Fig.6, of the mechanism shown in the latter figure.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary detail view of a Serial No. 726,863. Divided and this application filed 1827. Serial R0. 179,670.

March 30,

portion of the ratchet controlling the shifting of the nesting containers.

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the nesting devices as viewed from the line 99 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 10 is an end view of one of the containers.

F ig, 11 is a section taken substantially on the line 1111 of Fig. 9;

In mv co-pending application Serial No. 726863, filed July 18, 1924, a machine is described for forming articles from sheet material which are delivered to a counting and stacking mechanism forming the subject matter of the present invention. In that machine the several webs, W W W W and W of sheet material from which the articles are to be formed are continuously drawn from the reels (not shown) bythe feed rollers 49, and the composite web W formed by the superosed individual webs passes through the idle rollers 75 between which and the feed rollers 49 a slack portion B of said web depends. The web W is then intermittently fed between the dies 43 and 44 by the feed slides 76, the material advanced at each operation of said feed slides being drawn through the rollers 75 from the slack B which is kept substantially constant by the continuous operation of the rollers 49. Between successive movements of the web by the feed slide 76, the ram 30 decends with the upper dies 44, causing blanks to be punched from the web and formed into articles A, the number of articles formed at each operation by each pairof dies corresponding to the number of superposed individual webs making up the web W. When the upper dies descend, the web WV, stripper plate 106,and guides 77 for the feed slide 76 are depressed, as indicated in Fig. 4, said parts being, however, lifted substantially to the top of the lower dies 43 when the ram ascends, as indicated in Fig. 5, and the formed articles A being lifted by the plungers 112 to the level of the upper surface of the stripper plate 106 upon which the web W is guided. When, therefore, the web W is agaln advanced, the articles A, which still remain in the openings C in the web from each adapted to receive theend of a locking pawl 10 pivoted on a stud 13 projecting from the bracket 127, said pawl acting normally to hold the shaft 130 and carrier 133 against rotation. The pawl 10 is held in looking position by a spring 168 surrounding the stud 13, one end of said spring being secured to a collar 186 on said stud, and the otherbeing secured to a bell crank 14 pivoted on said stud and one arm of which is rigidly connected with said pawl by a screw bolt 187. Secured, as by screw bolts 161, to the hub of the locking disk 157 is an operating disk 162 also, formed in its periphery with a series of-notches 163 corresponding in number and arrangement to the sets of containers. Rotatably mounted on the hub of the locking'disk 157 is a controlling disk 164 in the form of a ratchet having on its edge a series of teeth 16 formed byrelatively shallow notches (Fig. 8) and one or more relatively deep notches .166. The ratchet 164 is held against retrograde movement by a holding pawl 167 pivoted v to the stud 13 and is periodically advanced,

at each cycle of operations of the machine, by an operating pawl 20 on a swinging pawl carrier 170 pivotally mounted on the shaft 130, said pawl being held in engagement with the ratchet by a spring 171 connecting the same with said pawl carrier. The ratchet 164 is held against overrunning under the influence of the pawl 20 by a brake band 172 secured at one end to an angular arm 173 projecting from the bracket 127, said brake band passing about the hub of the ratchet 164 and carrying at its opposite end a suitable weight 17 4. The pawl carrier 17 0 comprises a bell crank fulcrumed on the shaft 130, the pawl 20 being carried by one arm of said bell crank, the other arm of which is adjustably connected to one end of a rod 175 connected at its opposite end to an arm 176 on a rock shaft 21 journalled in a bracket 178 on the bed 27, said rock shaft having a second arm 179 connected by a rod 180 with a crank pin 181 projecting from a crank disk 182 on the main shaft 38.

I At each cycle of operations of the machine, the pawl carrier 170 is oscillated through an angular distance corresponding substantially to the angular spacing of the sets of containers 134, and by engagement with the teeth 16 of the controllin ratchet 164 operates to advance the latter trough a corresponding angular distance. The spacing of the teeth 16 is so proportioned to the angular movement of the pawl carrier that the pawl 20 is brought into engagement with the deep notch 166 only once in a predetermined number of operations. \Vhen said pawl is engaged with the shallow notches forming the teeth 16 it is held out of engagement wlth the operating disk 162, but when said pawl is engaged with the deep notch 166 it is permitted also to engage one of the notches 163 insaid disk 162 so as to turn the latter and with it the shaft 130 and carrier 133, bringing into operative position another set of containers 134. The pawl 20 is provided with an arm 183 havingv a lug 184 which cooperates with a lug 186 on the free arm of the bell crank 14. \Vhen the pawl 20 is engaged with the shallow notches of the ratchet 164 the lug 186 is out of the path of movement of thelug 184 which moves idly thereover. When, however, said pawl is engaged with the deep notch 166, and with a notch 163 in the operating disk 162, the In 184 is brought into a position to en- I gage t e lug 186, so that upon oscillation of the pawl carrier 170 the locking pawl 10 is lifted, thereby disengaging the locking disk 157 and unlocking the carrier. The notches 163 in the operating disk 162 are of a sufficient width to permit a small amount of lost motion between said disk and the pawl 20, as indicated at 188 in Fig. 6, so that said pawl is given an opportunity to disengage the locking pawl 10 from the locking disk 157 before moving the operating disk 162.

The articles A slide down the chute 119 onto the conveyor 12 in their respective compartments formed by the partitions 122, from which they are discharged by the several compartments of the chute 11 through the corresponding openings 129 in the bridge 128 into the respective containers 134 of the set then in operative position beneath said bridge, being packed into said containers in nested relation by the plungers 144. At each operation of the machine, the ratchet 164 is advanced by the pawl 20, and after a predetermined number of operations said pawl enters the notch 166 which permits the same to engage one of the notches 163 in the disk 162. The next operation of said pawl, therefore, causes the same to release the locking pawl 10 and turn the shaft 130 and carrier 133 through a sufficient are to remove the set of filled carriers 134 from be neath the bridge 128 and bring the next suc' ceeding set into position beneath said bridge. The bails 142 of the filled containers are then released, the hinged sections 138 of said containers swung aside, the stack of nested articles removed, and the containers closed. The counting and stacking mechanism of the invention is shown herein for the purpose of illustration as used in conjunction with a machine for forming and delivering; articles which is provided with live sets of cooperating forming dies, each operating upon five superposed webs of material so as to produce twenty-five articles at each cycle of operation of the machine. The nesting and counting mechanism includes five sets of containers, each set having six containers, the several sets being moved successively into operative position after each titty ope -ations of the machine, so that at ach movement of the container @arrier twelve hundred ai d titty articles will be. delivered in live nes ed stacks of two hundred and fifty each.

hat I c aim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, he c hination with meclrnism tor delivering er les, of a plurality of containers each having a cross-section corresponding to the outline of the articles to be stacked, automati me s "for moving said containers SllCCQSHlYe-ll' into 'tion to receive said articles e delivered, and means for packing said articles in said oentainers.

2. In a machine of the character described, the combination mechanism for delivering articles, of i ginrality oit containeach having a cross ction corresponding to the outline oi the to be cked .iprecating plinig'er ie ipcn ends of, l conz r icles therein, a rotary liners.

nd means for to bring ion to i receive said articles as they are denvered and llli'i alinement with said plm 3. In machine of the characte scribed,

the combi on with mechanism for delivering artic o a plurality of contairers each having a c section corresponding to the outline of the articles to be stacker and an open end, a rotary carrier on which said containers are radially disposed in a su tially vertica plane with their open ends directed outwardly, and means "for periodically rotating said or rrier to bring said containers succo ve y into position to receive said art s they are delivered.

it. The combination with mechanism for deliverin a succe sion of articles, of a plura "v ot contal ,ers for receiving said SiilCiGS, a carrier for aid containers, a pawl for m ving said carrier to bring said containers sUCcL ely into operative position, means operaed by said first-named mechanism at each cycle of OPGi'LliOHS thereof for actuat ng said paw, and a ratchet advanced by sai )cation thereof, said atche't sa d carrier but nhtting said ena predetermined l12lYllEjf proir gagement when position.

The combination with mechanism for delivering a sucee [on of articles, of a pluof containers for receiving said articles, a 'arrier for said containers, a pawl for moving said carrier to bring said con"- tainers succesively into operative position, means operated by said first-named mechanism ateach cycle of op rations thereof tor actuating said pawl. and a ratchet advanc d by said pawl at each operation thereof, said *atchet having deep and shallow notches engaged by said pawl and being adapted to hold the same out of operative engagementwith said carrier when said pawl is in engagement with said shallow notches but to permit said operative engagement when said pawl enters said deep notches.

(5. The combination with mechanisn'i for delive 'ing a succession of articles, of a plurality of containers for receiving said articles. a ca 'ricr for said containers movable to b ing the same successively into opera tive position, actuating means for said carrier operated by said first-named mechanism at each cycle of operations thereof, means for controlling the operative connection at said actuating means with said carrier, said controlling means being operated by aid actuating means at each operation of the latter and being adapted, after a predetermined number of ope'atious, to permitthe operative connection of said actuating means with said carrier, and locking means for said *arrier released by said actuating means when tmeratively connected with said carrier.

T. The combination with mechanism for delivering a succession of articles, of a plurality of containers for receiving said articles, a carrier for said containers movable to bring the same successively into ope *ative position, actuating means for said carrier operated by said first-named mechanism at. each cycle of operation thereof, controlling means for normally holding said actuating means out of ope 'ative engagement with said :arrier, said controlling means being progressively moved by said actuating means tmvard a position to permit such ope 'ative engagement, and a pawl for normally locking said carrier, said pawl being normally out oi? the path of movement of said actuating means but being engaged and released thereby when said actuating means is moved into operative engagement with said carrier.

8. A machine of the cha acter described having mechanism for delivering articles, a container for receii'ing said articles in nested relation, said container being split longitudinally into two relatively hinged sections separable to remove the stack oi nested articles.

9. A machine of the character described having mechanism for delivering articles, a plurality of containers each adapted to receive a plurality of articles in nested relation, each of said containers being split longitudinally into two relatively hinged sections separable to remove the stack of nested articles, and automatic means for moving said containers successively into position to receive articles from said delivering mechanism.

10. A machine of the character described having mechanism for delivering articles,

a series of containers movable successively into osition to receive said articles in nested re ation, each container being split longitions separable to remove the stack of nested articles, and one of said sections having hinged thereto a locking bail adapted to surround the other of sand sections to hold the container closed.

12. A machine of the character described having mechanism for delivering articles, a series of containers each adapted to receive said articles in nested relation, each container being split longitudinally and comprising a fixed section an a movable section hinged to the fixed section of the contiguous container, one oiv said sections having hinged thereto a locking bail adapted to surround the other of said sections to hold the container closed, and automatic means for moving the said containers successively into position to receive the articles from said delivering mechanism.

13. In a machine of'the character described, the combination with a plurality of delivering devices, of a plurality of sets of containers each equal in number to the delivering devices, a bridge having openings to'receive the articles from the several delivering devices, reciprocating plungers operating through said openings to pack said articles in said containers, and automatic means for moving said sets of containers.

successively under said bridge.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

HARRY E. RUCKERT. v 

